SINGAPORE - The People's Action Party (PAP) has emerged victorious in all three single-member constituencies (SMCs) which saw three-cornered fights.

In Radin Mas SMC, Mr Sam Tan retained his seat with 77.3 per cent of the vote. The Reform Party (RP)'s Mr Kumar Appavoo garnered 12.7 per cent of the votes cast, while independent candidate Ms Han Hui Hui took 10 per cent. The result means that Ms Han loses her election deposit of $14,500.

Ms Han, a 24-year-old blogger, is known for speaking out against the Central Provident Fund (CPF) scheme. It remained her pet topic during campaigning, drawing curious spectators to her two rallies.

Over at Bukit Batok SMC, Mr David Ong won with 73 per cent of the votes cast, beating the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP)'s Mr Sidasivam Veriyah (26.4 per cent) and independent candidate Samir Salim Neji, who took 0.6 per cent of votes. Mr Samir lost his election deposit as well.

MacPherson SMC, another closely-watched ward, was won by PAP incumbent Tin Pei Ling, who took 65.6 per cent of the votes cast. The WP's Mr Bernard Chen got 33.6 per cent of the vote, while the National Solidarity Party's (NSP) Mr Cheo Chai Chen had 0.82 per cent. Mr Cheo will also lose his election deposit.

The MacPherson ward, with 28,511 registered voters, was previously part of Marina Parade GRC .

The NSP threw its hat into the ring late in the game, surprising voters on Nomination Day when Mr Cheo showed up to file his nomination papers.

Despite talks before Nomination Day, the NSP and the WP did not manage to agree on leaving the SMC a straight fight between the PAP and the opposition.

Three-cornered fights are typically perceived as a dilution of the opposition vote.

Ms Tin, who gave birth to a son just a month ago, had a rocky start when she joined politics in 2011. She was the youngest PAP candidate introduced in 2011 at just age 27, and was mocked for being young and immature.

But she has since earned the praise of many, with online criticisms since replaced by netizens' praises for her empathy and heart on the ground. She has spoken about her desire to help build a home that gives young Singaporeans opportunities to the best possible education and opportunities, and where seniors can age without worry.

Mr Cheo, meanwhile, drew flak online when he said Ms Tin's new role as a mother is a "weakness". The veteran opposition politician, who was a former SDP MP in the 1990s, later wrote his comments off as a joke.

The Straits Times

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